Tornillo Independent School District Superintendent Paul Vranish, who had been under scrutiny after the state investigated him for questionable reimbursements, has been placed on paid leave by the school board.

The Texas Education Agency investigated Vranish concerning about $48,000 in reimbursements that were missing adequate documentation.

Vranish on Tuesday declined to comment on his removal from the district.

His annual base salary is about $117,000 a year.

The state investigation and low employee morale made it necessary to put Vranish on leave, Trustee Marlene Bullard said.

"I am community-elected and it is what the majority of the community was wanting," Bullard said.

Reporter Hayley Kappes

Trustee Sally Upchurch said the investigation and the way Vranish led the school district had created division in Tornillo.

"We needed to bring back trust and relief," Upchurch said. "If you didn't agree with something that was going on, you were banned from the school. The district was being ruled by an iron fist, teachers didn't have a voice and it was just time."

The school board appointed Tornillo High School Principal Margaret Ruybe interim superintendent.

Ruybe likely will receive a pay increase, but the school board has not worked out those details, Upchurch said.

It's unknown how long Vranish will be on paid leave.

The school board will determine the length of his leave once a forensic audit into Vranish's reimbursements is finished, Upchurch said.

Advertisement

She said that at a future meeting, the board will consider hiring a forensic auditor to examine reimbursements made to Vranish between fiscal years 2006 and 2011, a step the Texas Education Agency had recommended.

Once a forensic audit is conducted, the school board would determine if it will make Vranish pay back any questionable reimbursement, Upchurch said.

Vranish appeared to have been against launching a forensic audit into his reimbursements, according to emails obtained by the El Paso Times through the state Public Information Act.

In an email sent to district employees on Sept. 12, Vranish wrote, "If creating more obstacles for me to overcome is the objective, while bleeding school district money in the effort, a forensic audit is a splendid idea."

Vranish intended to leave the district by the summer.

After the state investigation started, Vranish announced in January his resignation effective in June 2013.

As required by his contract, the district paid Vranish $276,000, which he received on top of his regular salary after he resigned.

Rachel Avila, the former school board president, was the only trustee who voted against placing Vranish on paid leave.

She defended Vranish in an email on Tuesday.

"This board and too many in this community do not deserve this man -- Mr. Vranish," Avila wrote. "He has done so much for our kids, our school and our community and this group of people does not care. They want power and they have used this audit to smear him."

State auditors found that Vranish requested some reimbursements without submitting a receipt, some reimbursements were made before purchase orders were approved, and other reimbursements lacked proof that they were district expenses, according to the state report dated Aug. 31.

The state also accused Vranish of approving some of his own purchases, which shows that the district has a weak system of checks and balances, the report states.

After the investigation started, Vranish provided "additional support and explanation for the charges to reduce the amount that was questioned in the preliminary report, but there still remains some questioned cost that the board will determine whether or not they request a reimbursement of $2,576.46," the report states.

The district contested the accuracy of the state education agency's findings, but state officials upheld their final report, TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said.

By the end of January, the district must give the agency a "corrective action plan" that addresses the state's concerns about internal checks and balances.

"The district needs to take responsibility for their actions," Culbertson said. "Part of the corrective action plan is they find ways to improve their processes. This is an issue they need to deal with locally."

On Monday, Tornillo trustees also decided to make a change with the school district's law firm.

The board voted 6-1, with Avila opposing, to fire Austin-based law firm Powell and Leon and the El Paso law firm of Mounce, Green, Myers, Safi, Paxson & Galatzan.

"I think we needed some new blood to go in there and give us information," Upchurch said. "I know in the last few board meetings I attended as a community member, there was no legal counsel at those meetings to answer questions board members might have had."

Hayley Kappes may be reached at hkappes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6168. Follow her on Twitter @hayleykappes